Community Grants Administrative Specialist

Title: Community Grants Administrative Specialist

Salary

$36.89 - $41.31 Hourly

Location

City Hall, 600 4th Ave., Seattle, WA

Job Type

Classified Civil Service, Regular, Full-Time

Remote Employment

Flexible/Hybrid

Job Number

2026-01240

Department

Department of Neighborhoods

Job Description:

THE DEPARTMENT

The Seattle Department of Neighborhoods (DON) is responsible for strengthening Seattle by engaging all communities. Our purpose is to bring government closer to the residents of Seattle by engaging them in civic participation; empowering them to make positive contributions to their communities; and involving more of Seattle’s Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in civic discussion, processes, and opportunities.

THE TEAM

The Community Grants (CG) Team delivers high-impact programs and awards more than $5 million in grants to community-led initiatives addressing a variety of issues. The CG team consists of the Neighborhood Matching Fund (NMF), the Food Equity Fund (FEF), and Participatory Budgeting. 

NMF annually allocates funding for community-initiated projects aimed at enhancing Seattle’s neighborhoods. These projects cover a diverse range of ideas, including the design and development of parks modifications, playgrounds, facility enhancements, and other public spaces. Additionally, NMF funding supports public art installations, youth development programs, community events, festivals, initiatives addressing race and social justice, and cultural sharing activities.

FEF is a unique community grant that invests in an equitable and sustainable local food system. FEF projects are varied and include increasing access to nourishing, culturally relevant food, sustaining community farms, supporting food entrepreneurship, advancing food justice, and more. FEF is made possible by the Sweetened Beverage Tax and often coordinates with the Community Advisory Board and related programs in other City departments.

Job Responsibilities

THE JOB

The Community Grants Team is recruiting for an Administrative Specialist to support the NMF, FEF, and Participatory Budgeting team members and their work. In this role, you will often be the first contact that community members have with us and set the tone for all of their interactions with DON. You will also juggle administrative duties for both grant programs, coordinating, prioritizing, and adapting work plans to ensure that your teammates and customers have what they need when they need it.

You will:

• Serve as a contact for Community Grants incoming inquiries by telephone, email, online database system, etc., and track and forward inquiries and requests to appropriate staff
• Provide timely responses to inquiries from key partners, including DON staff and management, community applicants, and other City department staff
• Provide clerical support in the granting process, including technical support, preparing correspondence for applicants, maintaining filing system for project files, updating program documents, packaging of contract materials, etc.
• Create, organize, disseminate, and track electronic and paper documents (project files, application materials, invoicing, meeting minutes, presentations, etc.)

To be successful in this job, you are committed to:

• Supporting DON’s commitment to lead with race and center the needs and lived experiences of communities with a history of harm, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, immigrants, and refugees.
• Providing respectful and responsive customer service and support to internal and external customers, including knowing when to escalate concerns to a team member or supervisor.
• Anticipating and adapting to differing NMF, FEF, and Participatory Budgeting team needs and providing administrative support so that team members can work efficiently.
• Being a good teammate

To be effective in this job, you have:

• Strong organizational and prioritization skills, especially in high-volume environments.
• Attention to detail and accountability to follow through on assignments.
• Successfully provided administrative support to two or more teams simultaneously.
• Expertise with Teams, Webex for meeting administration, SharePoint, Word, and PowerPoint for communication, and shared files, as well as providing technical support to teammates.
• Experience with databases and ability to learn online grant management systems.
• Created agendas, taken minutes, and captured and tracked action items.
• Supported scheduling/registration for a variety of internal and external events.
• Managed workshop preparation and coordination, including preparation of materials, language access – translation of materials, live interpretation, etc.
• Ability to pull and format data across different tracking systems – Excel, Grants management systems such as Fluxx, and/or WebGrants.
• Experience using mail merge for notification letters and packaging contracts, and digital signature applications such as Adobe Sign for contract signatures
• Supporting program communications (using existing templates), via newsletters, blogs, and updating of websites.

Qualifications

In addition to the values, skills, and abilities listed above, this job requires:
 
Experience: Two years of clerical support experience
 
 OR
 
Equivalency: A combination of experience, training, and/or education that provides evidence of the ability to perform this job.

Additional Information

This job is classified as an Administrative Specialist II – BU and is represented by a Collective Bargaining Agreement with PROTEC17 – Administrative Support Unit. The salary range is $35.56 – 41.31. New City employees start at Step 1, in a 5-step salary schedule. Personnel Rules will determine the salary placement of current regular City employees.

This position offers the flexibility of a hybrid work schedule. Individual schedules will be based on agreement between the employee and management.

The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package, including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents. 

This hiring process involves a background check of conviction and arrest records in compliance with Seattle's Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SMC 14.17. Applicants will have the opportunity to explain or correct background information.
 

Why Work for the City of Seattle? At the City of Seattle, public service is more than a job; it’s a chance to shape the future and make a meaningful difference in the lives of everyone who works, lives, or plays in our city. With 12,000 employees across 40+ departments and 1,100 job titles, we are united by a common purpose: to create a Seattle that is vibrant and welcoming for all. Whatever your role, you’ll help power a forward-looking city that leads by example — inclusive, innovative, equitable, and community-focused — while joining a diverse team committed to solving challenges and making a lasting impact together. Join us in building a Seattle that thrives!

This position is open to applicants who meet the minimum qualifications. The Department of Neighborhoods values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, medical condition, or pregnancy. The Department of Neighborhoods encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experiences.  

Accommodations:

Individuals with disabilities will be provided with reasonable accommodations to participate in the job application or interview process, perform essential job functions, and receive other benefits and privileges of employment.